


That's where the fifty years' experience comes in

by dogandmonkeyshow



Series: Watson's Woes WAdvent 2017 fics [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Cooking Lessons, Gen, Mrs Hudson rules the roost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 16:15:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12891735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dogandmonkeyshow/pseuds/dogandmonkeyshow
Summary: As an early Christmas gift, Mrs Hudson gives John a gentle reminder of what's what.





	That's where the fifty years' experience comes in

**Author's Note:**

> For WAdvent Open Posting Day #1: a little treat that grew out of some dialogue that didn't make the cut for one of my claimed day fics.

The scent of butter and vanilla hit John's palate just as he bit into the shortbread biscuit. “Oh, god, Mrs Hudson, you make the best shortbread in the universe,” he moaned around the first mouthful.

“I can give you the recipe if you like.”

“Sure, that'd be great.” John thought that maybe Rosie would like to play along with him in the kitchen one rainy afternoon. “I can probably fumble my way through a biscuit recipe.”

She chuckled. “Well, you start with a pound of butter—”

“Wait—a _pound_ of butter?” John's inner Doctor was clutching his metaphorical head at the cholesterol implications.

“It does make a lot of biscuits.”

“Still—should I write this down, maybe?”

“Oh, you won't need to bother; there's only four ingredients.”

John figured he could cope with remembering four things. “Okay, that should be easy, then. One pound of butter.”

She nodded. “You have to take it out of the fridge the day before, so that it comes to room temperature all the way through. That's the real trick.” She tapped the side of her nose and winked. “Then add one cup of sugar, and mix it in until you think your arm's going to fall off. The sugar has to be completely dissolved.”

“Okay.”

“Then add half a teaspoon of vanilla. Real vanilla, not that cheap, nasty artificial stuff.”

“One pound butter, one cup sugar, half a teaspoon of vanilla. Sounds easy enough.”

“Then add flour until it's the right consistency.”

“The right consistency. What exactly is the right consistency?”

“Oh, you'll recognise it when you see it.” 

“Can you maybe give me a rough estimate—”

“Oh, no. You just keep adding it until it's right. I've never bothered keeping track.” There was a wicked glint in her eye that told John he'd been had.

“So how am I supposed to know when it's right?”

“Oh, that's where the fifty years' experience comes in.” She patted him on the arm and with a little giggle, headed back down the stairs to her flat, leaving John with a tin of the best biscuits in the world and the sure knowledge that Mrs Hudson was still the undisputed ruler of Baker Street.

~ + ~

end.


End file.
